New figures on public housing supply and demand shows a record number of families on the public housing wait list.
At the end of March this year there were 26,868 families on the public housing list compared with 23,687 in March 2021.
'No light at the end of the tunnel'
Alan Johnson, housing spokesperson for the Child Poverty Action Group says the need for houses is double the rate that’s being built.
“This is the pattern that has been happening for a year or so and it doesn’t seem like there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Johnson said 5,000-8,000 houses should be going up per year but it was “lucky” if 1,600 houses per year were being built.
“It appears as though matters are getting worse instead of better. One would hope that after five years of this government and three or four years of them trying hard, we would see some progress. But we’re not.”
Subscribe to the new Te Ao Māori News on YouTube
Johnson believes the housing supply isn’t going backwards but no progress is being made.
"The problem is much bigger than the government is prepared to acknowledge or commit to."
Johnson wanted whānau, especially children and youth, into homes because the detrimental effects could be long-lasting.
“Realistically when you start talking about child poverty it doesn’t take very long before you start talking about homelessness and housing problems as a source of that poverty.
It entrenches a disadvantage that tamariki Māori and rangatahi Māori face throughout their lives if they don't have a good home to grow up in.”
“We are undertaking research to look at ways in which we can improve the situation for whānau, particularly access to income which will allow them to get into decent housing.”